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World’s largest environmental summit marks first time UN will use zero-emission shuttle fleet

The conference, which runs from June 13-22, marks the first time the UN will use a dedicated zero-emission car fleet for shuttling its delegates.

More than 50,000 delegates, including 400 from the UN, are expected to attend the summit - nicknamed "Rio+20" - to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the United Nations' Earth Summit in Rio, where countries agreed to a blueprint for economic growth, social equity and environmental protection.

"One important subject of Rio+20 is the 'sustainable city,' and zero-emission vehicles can be  an integral part ensuring quality of life in urban areas," said Kathleen Abdalla, Chief of the organization and logistics of Rio+20 at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. "We are glad to have zero-emission vehicles added to our fleet. In this way, we can see and demonstrate how EVs can reduce noise pollution and eliminate tailpipe emissions. In Brazil, where most electricity is generated from renewable and local sources, electric vehicles are an excellent low carbon transport option." 

Shuttles throughout the RioCentro convention area include:

• Renault Fluence Z.E., a family sedan that went on sale late last year in Europe;
• Renault Kangoo Z.E., an electric light commercial van named International Van of the Year 2012; and
• Nissan LEAF, the top-selling EV in history with more than 32,000 units sold on three continents.

Electric vehicles - a contribution to sustainable transport

The Alliance vehicles, including the all-new Renault Twizy, a two-seat urban commuter vehicle that went on sale in Europe this spring, will also be on display at the Global Forum on Human Settlements (GFHS) booth in the HSBC Arena. Test drives will also be available.

Earlier this month, Nissan announced a taxi pilot program in Sao Paulo, South America's largest city. The ten Nissan LEAFs in the program will be driven by professional taxi drivers who will be able to recharge their lithium-ion batteries at five quick charging points in the city. The quick chargers allow drivers to recharge their batteries from zero to 80% capacity in about 30 minutes.

The Renault-Nissan Alliance has signed more than 120 Memoranda of Understanding with authorities around the world, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Mexico and Puerto Rico, to study how electric vehicles can preserve the environment and improve the quality of city life.

The goal of Rio+20 is to encourage governments, corporations and non-profits to adopt sustainable policies to reduce poverty, create jobs and promote more sustainable energy policies.

Rio+20 opened with a special ceremony to inaugurate the zero-emission shuttle on June 13. June 18 is the "Global Forum on Electric Mobility: Greening Transport for Sustainable Development," which includes a keynote by Toshiaki Otani, Managing Director of the Renault-Nissan Battery Business and Senior Vice President of the Global Zero Emission Business Unit and Battery Business Unit at Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. The "Conference on Sustainable Human Settlements," co-organized by GFHS, will also take place later that day.
The Renault-Nissan Alliance is the world leader in electric vehicles and the only car group that has a range of affordable, zero-emission cars already on sale. By the end of fiscal year 2016, the Alliance aims to have sold 1.5 million zero-emission cars globally.




ABOUT THE RENAULT-NISSAN ALLIANCE

The Renault-Nissan Alliance is a strategic partnership between Paris-based Renault and Yokohama, Japan-based Nissan, which together sell one in 10 cars worldwide. The companies, which have been strategic partners since 1999, sold 8.03 million cars in nearly 200 countries in 2011. The Alliance is the auto industry leader for zero-emission vehicles. The Alliance also operates strategic collaborations with automakers including Germany's Daimler, China's Dong Feng, and India's Ashok Leyland and recently formed a joint venture with state corporation Russian Technologies to acquire a majority stake in AVTOVAZ.